2017-03-30

Andy Rouse shooting wildlife with the Canon 5D Mark IV

Greetings Park Cameras readers, it’s been a while I know and I hope that you have missed me. As I type this I’m sitting in the BA lounge at Heathrow about to jet off to India for my first of 4 tiger tours this year. I’m always excited at a time like this, as it’s what I do best, free to take pictures and spend time with very nice people seeing one of the most beautiful animals on the planet.

My kit bags for the trips contain the usual amount of heavy kit, all of which is necessary to cope with the demands of a rouse tiger trip. One piece that may surprise you though is the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, which has become a valued member of my camera collection. I’ve long liked high Mega Pixel cameras as I can use them as effective teleconverters (without the extra glass) and I need the extra file size they give. Of course nothing can replace my Canon EOS 1DX Mark II’s, of which I have two in the bag, and they will always be my 'go-to' cameras. But my attitude is always to use the best tool for the job and over the past couple of months I have slowly but surely shot more with the EOS 5D Mark IV.

Now you will be wondering why, as surely I need a very very fast camera to cope with the stresses of wildlife and aviation photography? Sure for some things, lemurs jumping, cheetahs running, having the high frame rate and an equally amazing buffer size that the 1DX Mark II provides is tough to live without. Also when I need to shoot in very low light at ISO’s of 3200 and above, the 1DX Mark II has no equal. It’s amazing. But there are those times for me when I don’t need the blazing speed and high ISO performance, when I’m shooting relatively static subjects where quality is paramount. For example a tiger walking, and as if my magic here’s one......

I shot this on the first test trip for the Canon 5D Mark IV and used the rear LCD screen to focus the image as I was holding it below the level of the vehicle. The AF worked a treat as every image was sharp, but it was the quality of the image that really impressed me. The detail was excellent and so were the noise levels, especially when processed using the latest DPP software. As I shot more with the camera I became more convinced that it’s a vital tool in my armoury.

Yes I’ve read all the complaints from the usual source. I don’t expect miracles with the buffer and I never shoot above ISO 1600 with it, for me it’s about using my photography brain instead of just relying on technology. I pick the shots I want rather than blast, it keeps my photography on edge.

If I want an all action low light camera I will use my Canon 1DX Mark II, for everything else the 5D IV is seeing much more use. On this trip I will have it attached to my Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens most of the time, with the 1DX Mark II used with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens for more action situations. Anything wide angle (which I must do this trip for my upcoming tiger book), will also be on the 5D Mark IV. I will use it on my polar bear cruise this year as my main camera, same for Antarctica and Galapagos. It will also work as my main camera shooting air to air aviation images, as the file quality speaks for itself and the AF is very very capable.

Most of my updates on what I am doing will, as always, be on Foto-Buzz.com but I will also put regular monthly BLOGs on here too. Certainly an increasing number of images will feature the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV so watch this space!

Andy Rouse
Professional wildlife and aviation photographer

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About Andy Rouse

Andy Rouse is a multi-award winning professional wildlife and aviation photographer. He loves to shoot edgy and atmospheric imagery and has always been known for pushing his photography to the next level. He runs workshops for photographers, leads expeditions across the globe and was co-founder of the online camera community FotoBuzz. He is proud to be an Ambassador for 21st Century Tiger and undertakes to support conservation initiatives wherever possible.

On top of this, he is the author of numerous critically acclaimed books and has appeared on many television programmes worldwide. As well as appearing at industry trade shows and conferences, presenting his photography theatre show, he is a trusted Canon Europe Explorer and now also a Park Cameras Ambassador.